Meet Dianne, St Johns first resident

For Dianne Cartmer the decision to move into Summerset St Johns - becoming the first ever resident to do so - was an unexpected, yet easy one.

“Moving into a retirement village was the last thing I thought I would ever do; it was simply never on my radar,” says Dianne, who currently lives in Karaka. “I’d had a small stroke in August last year and my son Steve (who lives just five minutes’ walk from the St Johns village) suggested I move closer to him. The original plan was I would buy a house in the area. However, I wasn’t impressed with any we saw.” Another fruitless house hunt let them to visit the Summerset sales office on Remuera Road. “The scale model of the village meant I could see the layout. I said straight away, ‘I have a good feeling about this’”.

Dianne has worked in real estate and property development for decades, so buying off the plans didn’t faze her. “I sold all the sections of the sub-division I lived in, and I had to review all the designs of the homes too. I know what to look for in terms of design and quality. St Johns really is architecturally designed. I was amazed that everything, from the carpets to the fixtures, is exactly to my tastes. A lot of the design there is like my home now.”

While it was a big decision, Dianne says she tends to trust her instincts. “They were telling me it was the right thing. I can be very decisive and If I want something then I won’t dither.”

Dianne chose a 2-bed, 2-bathroom apartment on the ground floor. “I want my grandchildren and guests to have their own bathroom when they visit me, that was important. I chose the ground floor because I want to be able to open the door and feel the grass underneath my feet.” Dianne’s ragdoll cat Vinnie will also appreciate the location. “He is used to hopping in and out of the window and roaming around.”

Maintenance was a factor in her decision too. “I was having to outsource everything. From tending the garden to washing the house to cleaning it, it was tiring me out. Not needing to maintain anything is really appealing.”

Dianne has four children, eight grandchildren and three great-grandchildren, but its granddaughter Mila, aged 10, who has been driving the move. “Mila has been part of the process from the outset,” laughs Dianne. “She’s viewed every house and been to every appointment with me. Her school is close to the village so I will be able to attend Grandparents Days. We are both delighted we will see one another more.”

Although she has always lived in the Franklin district, Dianne is sanguine about starting her new chapter. “Summerset have organised various luncheons and events for future St Johns residents, and the ones I have met I will really enjoy getting to know further. We are all like-minded. Plus, I have always wanted to live in that area of the city.”

While moving house at any stage can be daunting, Summerset’s moving specialist, Anna Irvine, organised Dianne’s. “I have received spectacular care and attention from Anna. She visited me and we discussed what I would keep. She drew up a plan of the placement of it all. The packers came the day before I moved, then the next day the truck transported everything, and it was unpacked for me in my new home. They even sent cleaners for my old house.”

Now settled into her new apartment, Dianne feels right at home.

“Summerset St Johns has definitely provided me with the retirement lifestyle I have been looking for and more. I was welcomed in by a great team to a place that I am proud to call my forever home.”

This is an article from the Summer 2024 edition of Summerset Scene magazine

Click here to read the full issue